Hesitation
by Thing2BK
Summary: Vash is the best shot on the force, sent to hunt down Alfred F Jones, a convicted murderer on the run. But what if he were innocent? AU
1. Chapter 1

Dark blue uniform, pressed to perfection. Fair, chin-length hair hanging loosely from underneath the dark cap. Vash checked, and double-checked to ensure that all three (yes, three) of his guns were tucked neatly in their places. Green eyes softened considerably when he confirmed that they were indeed in their positions. Yes, everything was as it should be.

"Lily, I'm going!" He called from the entrance hall of the apartment.

The rapid footsteps announced his sister's arrival, and the young woman smiled as she gave him a quick hug, already wearing her uniform for work, and her favorite purple hair ribbon. "Have a good day. Oh! And I'm working later tonight at the restaurant, so you're on your own for dinner."

"Okay. I'll see you tonight then."

The May air still had a bit of a chill to it when Vash stepped out of the apartment building, and started walking towards the station, only a few blocks away. He got a few nods of recognition, but no one said a word, or stopped him. It was well known that he didn't talk much, and when he did, it was curt, and sometimes cold. He was Vash Zwingli, one of the best officers on the force, certainly the best shot, but one of the worst at conversing. Probably the reason that he hadn't flown up through the ranks. Those above him thought he was antisocial. Those under him thought he was arrogant.

Really, both were right. He didn't like 'hanging out' with fellow cops, never sided with anyone in an argument, and he really did know that he was the better officer out of all the others. No one could shoot like him, and no one could track down someone who didn't want to be found like him.

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"Good morning sir!" The receptionist chirped brightly as the man walked in. He said nothing but did offer her a brief nod when her smile faltered slightly. 'She must be new' he thought with a shrug. After all, the others knew better than to be deterred by his standoffish greetings.

"Vash! Good to see you buddy!" He was nearly knocked over by a beaming German (Prussian, thank you very much!) "So, did you miss me?"

The blond scowled darkly. "I saw you on Friday, Gilbert, and no one is capable of missing an annoyance like you. Get off of me."

The albino frowned, but obeyed, looking deeply wounded, but Vash knew better. "I seriously came bearing news most awesome for you straight from Roddy, but now I'm not sure I even want to tell you anymore."

"Well then I suppose I'll find out from the chief, won't I?" He only half-pretended not to be curious to piss off the older man, who could obviously barely contain how exciting he thought this news was.

"Well I guess I _could _tell you… the chief has a target for you, and you're getting permission to shoot on sight… shoot to _kill_."

Was it so wrong that Vash's ears perked up right away at that? Probably. But they did, nonetheless. "Really?"

"Yep! A convicted murderer escaped last week and disappeared. The guys originally assigned to getting him back thought he'd be heading west to the coast, but obviously that hasn't turned up anything, and he's long gone, so they're giving you the job. Sometimes I think they forget you're not a detective."

"Sounds like a challenge at least." Vash muttered, already moving towards the chief's office.

"Oh, and there's something else too that I think you'll like even more."

"What?" the guise was gone, and excitement for this task was clear on his face.

Gilbert's grin widened, and he winked cheerfully. "Dunno! It's probably classified info or something."

Vash's face was thunderous as he walked into Roderich's office. Somehow that damn, so-called 'Prussian' always managed to get him severely pissed off.

Roderich's office was spotless as always. Cared for by the man himself, who barely even tolerated other people _breathing_ in his workspace, much less trust anyone else to keep it organized. The blinds covering the window hung half-open, letting in only a fragment of what little sunlight there was outside to begin with, giving the room a very hollow feel. Other than the weak sun, the only source of light would have been the antique carnival glass desk lamp, had Roderich not been too cheap to pay for any extra electricity.

It was little things like that that had earned Vash's respect for the man, despite their differences most of the time.

"I see you've already spoken with Mr. Beilschmidt." The dark-haired man murmured, barely glancing up from his computer screen.

"Yes sir."

"So you know about the convict we're sending you after."

"A killer, yes. But why am I going alone? Not that I mind, but isn't something like this reserved for a larger team?"

"Because we need this kept quiet."

"May I ask why, sir?" It was odd for something like this to be kept a secret. Most of the time, they wanted the culprit caught quickly, and to keep it from public eyes, not the rest of the police force.

"You know officer Williams, correct?"

"Of course." Matthew Williams was a much younger cop who kept to himself, much like Vash, and could snipe like no other. He hadn't seen anyone like him since Tino Väinämöinen had moved away. That was really the only reason they did their best to keep him on the force, as his mental state was a bit shaken at times. "But what does that have to do with-?"

Roderich held up a hand to silence him, and, passed a small photo across the desk. "The man you're going after is his twin brother."

"You're kidding, right?" He didn't want to even look at the photo, hoping this was some kind of joke. Williams was a good kid, if a bit 'gone' at times. He couldn't be mixed up in this sort of thing.

"I don't _kid_." Roderich snapped irritably. "His arrest three years ago was the original cause of the boy's distress. He's convinced that his brother was innocent. Knowing that we're hunting him down with the intent to kill him would probably push him over the edge."

"Of course." He was trying to think of anyone with the surname Williams who'd been arrested that year, but none came to mind.

"So we're clear? You'll find Alfred Jones, kill him, and then alert me, and only me."

Ah, different surnames. That made sense. "One more thing, why does Gilbert know? He seemed pretty sure about this outside, and he's fairly close to Matthew. Wouldn't it be dangerous for him to know?"

The Austrian scrunched up his nose in annoyance. "He snuck into my office and found the file. It took a lot of convincing to get him to not tell Williams, or anyone else, a thing."

"I see."

"So you'll stay quiet?"

Vash took the file that his boss held up, and nodded stiffly. "Yes sir. I'll be on my way now."

"Good luck."

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"_Lily, I know you're working, so I'll just leave a message. Sorry this is really sudden, but I have to leave for work for a little while. Hopefully just a few days. I'll take you out for dinner when I get back, to make it up for you. See you then."_

Lily sighed as she heard the message. Her brother was always getting sudden out-of-town work like this.

"What's wrong Lil? You look kind of depressed."

"I'm fine Liz. My brother's just going out of town for awhile." She said quickly, running a small hand through her sandy hair.

The taller brunette nodded in understanding, retying the knot at the back of her dark brown apron. "You know, if it was anyone other than you, I'd say this much devotion to one's brother would be unhealthy."

"I just get really worried, that's all." She peered up at the clock, and smiled. "It's about that time again Liz."

As if on cue, Gilbert Beilschmidt strode into the restaurant, beaming, and Elizaveta was on him in an instant. "Hey Gilbo! Did you get any darling little pictures for me today?" She cooed, batting her eyelashes.

"Lizzie, how many times do I have to tell you that Colin and Eric aren't gay?" He groaned.

"Oh you know that's a horrible lie, so be a dear and cough them up, and I just might…" She stood on tiptoe, and whispered something in Gilbert's ear that made his red eyes shoot open as he grinned.

"Well seeing as you put it that way, I just so happened to have a camera set up in a janitor's closet today…" He said slyly, holding out a small silver camera. Just as Elizaveta greedily reached for it, he frowned, and held it out of her reach. "The Prussian blue ones?"

"The Prussian blue ones." She confirmed impatiently, suppressing a giddy squeal as he finally handed over the camera. "Hey Lil, take my tables for awhile, would you? I need to run this home before the boss sees it." Elizaveta was already tearing through the knot she'd just retied, and handing the apron to Gilbert.

"Sure. My break should last another ten minutes, so be quick."

"Rodger that! It's not far anyway." She cheered, racing for the door.

"So did your brother let you know about his job?" Gilbert asked as Lily tied her own apron back on.

"Yes, he called and left a message, but wouldn't tell me what it is."

"Makes sense, it's all being kept pretty hush-hush." He stopped at the crest-fallen look on the girl's face. "But don't worry about it. He's the best, so he'll be fine! He'll be back in no time at all, promise!"

"I know that Gilbert, but thank you anyway." Lily smiled brightly up at him. "Now could you get out of the way? I've got to take care of Lizzie's tables. Take a seat, and I'll get to your order before your lunch break's over."

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Vash glanced from the road to the picture sitting on the passenger's seat. Alfred Jones was beaming up at him, with one arm slung around officer Williams' shoulders as the younger smiled meekly upwards. Somehow he couldn't imagine that man murdering all those people as brutally as the old reports had said.

Eyes shifting back to the road, Vash slapped himself mentally. "Stop thinking like that." He hissed aloud. "You'll end up feeling sorry for a killer, and not being able to do your damn job."

As far as police sources said, Jones had gone west. But as that had turned up nothing, Vash's best guess was north. The twins had a cabin in Northern Ontario they'd spent most of their childhood summers in, and he'd bet any money that's where he would go.

And Vash Zwingli never put money on the line unless he was absolutely certain that he was right.

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Thanks for reading~!

Well here it is, my first time writing with Switzerland as a main character. Actually, I don't usually deal with the Germanic characters at all. They're really fun to write though! Anyway, lemmie know how it is! Drop me a lovely review!

Also, I apologize for butchering the police system; I have no clue how anything really works, so I just try to have as little detail as possible.

I wrote the first two chapters of this in driver's Ed in April. I think I'm the most creative while bored So, I really shouldn't be publishing this yet, seeing as I have three other stories to work on, but I don't care, I really want this one out before I forget about it all together.


	2. Chapter 2

"Where are you, you little bastard? Come on- aha!" Alfred grinned in triumph, holding up the dark plaster rock to the sky like it was the Holy Grail. Hands still covered in dirt from digging through the fresh soil of the front garden. A few moments later, the spare key fell into his palm. He unlocked, and opened the door carefully, as if worried the police were already inside, even though that was impossible. The only other key in existence to the place was in London with Arthur.

Once he decided it was safe enough, he entered, locked the door behind him, something Matt would've laughed at him for, (so what if bears can't open doors, locking it makes him feel better!) and flopped over on the slightly dusty couch in the living room.

'How long can I stay here?' He wondered, 'How long until they decide to check this place?' Not long, that was for sure. His brother was a cop, so they had pretty much everything they could possibly want on their entire shared life just by flicking open a file drawer, or a few clicks on their computers. Why did Mattie have to go and be a cop? Alfred could still see him the day he'd graduated from the academy, eyes alight, his entire being aglow.

With a low grunt, he pulled himself to his feet, and gravitated to the kitchen. He didn't suppose there was anything in the fridge…

"I freakin love you bro! Always thinking of me!" He cheered, flinging the door wide open to reveal its vast bounty. The Canadian had clearly just restocked it with anything a hungry Alfred could possibly want. The same went for the cupboards in the kitchen. Along with the neatly stacked boxes, was a thick envelope, which he opened eagerly.

_Al, _his brother had written in his careful hand. _I figured this would be the first place you went to hide. I'm sorry that I couldn't be here to meet you, but the others are suspicious enough as it is. They've already had several shrinks to see me, and they haven't let me go out with the crew at all recently. I know they're just worried, but it gets pretty annoying._

_Gilbert and the chief seem to know something the rest of us don't. I think they're planning on sending someone after you, solo to arouse less suspicion, but I'm not sure who. Just be careful, and don't take any unnecessary risks. I've called Arthur, and told him everything. He said he'd keep in touch, and that his home in London is always open for you_

_I'm going to prove your innocence too, Al. Somehow, we'll figure out who really did it, and framed you. Will thinks it's Carlos, you know? That creepy Cuban guy you used to hate?_

_Anyway, there's money in this envelope too. About five thousand in mixed currency. Be careful._

_-Matt_

Again, Alfred smiled, running a finger across the neat cursive, and then reached for the promised cash. Canadian dollars, Euros, and pounds. A little over a thousand in each.

About trying to prove his innocence? Well, he doubted that would ever happen. The court had pretty much decided that he was doomed to suffer, and wasn't about to release its stubborn grip on him any time soon. Not that he'd ever be able to tell his brother that. It would break his heart… and drive him insane. A quiet, passive sort of insane, which was about ten times scarier than if he snapped and shot up a subway or something.

Grabbing a can of Coors from the fridge, the American wandered around the cabin, deciding what he should clean off, and what he shouldn't be bothered with. There was no sense in making it obvious that he'd been living there to the cops if he didn't have to.

He walked into the bedroom that he and Mattie had shared for years. The ladder to the top had broken even before the twins were born, so Alfred had used a chair to scramble up for bed. Sometimes, when he'd been really tired, Arthur would have to lift him up.

"Arthur." He couldn't help but miss the Brit. An old college pal of his father's, who'd raised the boys after their parents had died. He'd been like a big brother to the two, home schooling them both up to high school, and teaching them both to hunt. A fine sport, he'd called it. Mattie loved the hunt itself, but usually ended up crying after killing the animal.

Al had never been able to enjoy it at all. The idea of killing something sent chills down his spine. How anyone had been able to think that he'd killed twenty people when he couldn't even shoot a rabbit, he'd never figure out.

Sighing at the memories, the blond raked a hand through his hair, wincing at how greasy it felt. He needed a shower. Now. Hopefully the water tank wasn't still frozen from the winter.

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"Cold! Holy fuck that's cold!" He shrieked, leaping out of the shower, panting heavily at the sudden 'attack'. Water shouldn't be allowed to be that cold.

Carefully, as if afraid it would somehow be even colder, he stuck a hand through the spray, sighing in relief, as it slowly turned lukewarm. He couldn't remember the last shower he'd had alone. Even though most of the other guys in prison weren't as creepy as he'd expected, (hell, some of them had been actually been pretty nice for burglars and murderers) but it was always an awkward experience for him. Privacy was a welcome change.

Within a few minutes, he was singing loudly, enjoying his newfound freedom. He'd been so tense for the past few days, but now he could relax. At least for three more days, until he'd be forced to move again, hopefully to London, where he'd be as good as free. Yes, that was a great plan if he'd ever thought of one. Hopefully Mattie could visit him on his vacation time.

Alfred's head snapped up as he realized the water was slowly cooling again. "Shit." He groaned, turning it off. He grabbed a thick white towel from the tall rack, and wrapped it loosely around his waist, looking for another one to dry his hair.

The old grandfather clock that somehow still worked, declared it to be 2 am, but if he remembered correctly, Arthur had set it to the time in London so that he could know when to call his brothers. So that meant it was really… Alfred wrinkled his nose in thought, 9 pm. Perfect, suppertime. He dug through the fridge again, wondering if burgers on the barbeque would attract animals. Bears were awake at this time.

But then again, burgers _had _to be done on the barbeque. None of that fry pan crap. So he'd just have to risk it.

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Vash glared out the windshield, as if being angry at the road could make it any shorter. He'd been driving all day, barely stopping to eat. He knew he'd have to be quick if he wanted Alfred killed before the week was out. Who knows where he'd go after awhile at the cabin? From what the report told him, Jones was smart, and probably had figured out that the police knew about the cabin. So he wouldn't stay there for long before making a break for it again.

He was interrupted from his thoughts by his cellphone ringing brightly. Vash was surprised that there was even cell coverage out here. He must've been close to a town or something. "Hello?"

"_Vash?"_

"Williams?" He asked, shocked to hear the man's wispy voice.

"_Yes. Please Vash, please don't kill my brother."_

"H-how the hell did you find out about that? Damnit! If Beilschmidt told you, even after swearing not to, I will choke that stupid bastard…"

"No, Gil didn't say a word. I knew they'd send someone after him, and you were the only one I didn't see this morning. Please, if you'd just talk to Al, you'd know he's innocent. You can't just kill someone without knowing."

"If it's so obvious that he was innocent, then why was he convicted?"

"Everyone is too scared of the real killer. No matter how much evidence pointed to him, they'd never dare to arrest him."

"Who is it then?"

"_It- a –an –med -." _The already soft voice scraped, and faded out as Vash left what little signal he'd had before.

"Damnit!" He snarled, whipping the phone away, and going back to staring at the road. God he was tired. The coffee he'd had a few hours back had worn off, leaving him even more exhausted then when he'd bought it.

He tried desperately to remain focussed on the road signs, looking out for the Finnish-sounding name he'd memorized before leaving.

There! That was the one! Soon, he'd be finished, and could just take a well-deserved nap, and then go home. At just the thought of a nap, Vash felt his eyelids grow heavy and droop. Yes, sleep sounded great right now. What little was left of his reasoning skills were all in one tiny voice in the back of his head, insisting that he not go to sleep. Just stay awake a little bit longer! It hissed. But the rest of him called for rest, and he was helpless to resist.

He didn't even wake up when he'd hit the tree.

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Al stopped comically mid-bite at the loud crash that sounded, not too far off from his cabin. A wild animal perhaps? No, it was too loud for that. Frowning, he grabbed the dark brown leather jacket from the coat hanger, and sprinted out the door, hoping the flashlight he carried still had working batteries. He flicked the switch, and was thrilled to see the blinding beam of light cut through the shadows.

He ran to the end of the dirt driveway, and saw the truck. A heavy black one, completely totalled by a massive oak tree with their cabin number nailed to it.

"Hello?" Alfred called hesitantly. "You okay dude?" He couldn't tell the gender of the driver, but it seemed like a guy-car. Carefully, he aimed the flashlight's beam at the cab, where he could see a flash of pale blond hair, smattered with blood. He panicked for an instant, thinking it was Mattie, But managed to calm himself with the thought that his brother had said he wouldn't be able to come.

Still, whoever this was, was out cold, and bleeding. He lifted himself into the battered truck, and groped around for the man's seatbelt, and then pulled him out, slinging a limp arm around his shoulder, and picking his way back to the cabin, pouting slightly.

"My burger's gonna be cold."

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Thanks for reading~!

Sorry for the lacking of dialogue in here. Al doesn't talk to himself very much.

Updates will be slower now; these are the only two chapters I wrote, so now I actually have to work.

Reviews make writing worth it!


	3. Chapter 3

"What the hell…" Vash groaned, opening one eye slowly, followed by the second. Ever so slowly, the world drifted into focus, as did a pair of sky-blue eyes. The officer frowned suddenly. He knew those eyes. A mirror image to Williams'. Alfred. Vash sat up quickly, ignoring the colourful spots that swam around his vision, and groped for any one of the guns at his waist, only to find them gone.

"Hey, are you okay? That was a pretty nasty crash."

Ignoring the man, Vash continued to look for his guns, finding them on the nightstand beside him. He grabbed the first one he could reach, and in half a second, it was loaded, cocked, and pointed straight between the man's eyes, which widened considerably at the sight. "Are you Alfred Jones?" He growled, head still pounding.

"Not at all!" The younger man yelped, holding his hands up in surrender. "You must be thinking of my brother! We're twins after all, I could show you a picture and-" He stopped as the gun was pressed to his forehead. If it were possible, his eyes widened even further in terror.

The man was sharp, pulling out the twin card. Anyone else may have fallen for it. However… "Unfortunately for you, I work with Matthew Williams." Vash murmured darkly, ready to end this man's life. The only thing holding him back was the faint whispering in his head that he felt he should remember. Maybe it was Matthew? Someone telling him that Alfred had been framed? Either way, something was holding his finger back, almost physically.

The realization that he couldn't pull the trigger because part of him believed this man was innocent hit him like a ton of bricks. "Sorry. I was confused." He said lamely, putting the gun aside.

"C-confused?"

"I can't do it. I have orders to kill you but… I just can't believe that you could've killed all those people. Call it conscience or whatever, but I can't."

Alfred still looked too nervous to be relieved. Slowly, he backed up a few steps, just in case Vash decided to kill him anyway. "So… are we good?"

"Yes, I'm sorry."

He let out the massive breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "Let's start over, okay? I'm Alfred F. Jones." He held out a hand, though the suspicion was still alight in his eyes. He was clearly ready to bolt again, should Vash show any sign that he'd been trying to fool him. "You are?"

There was a moment's pause before the hand was accepted. "Vash Zwingli."

"Like a cow?" He winced as the glare returned. "No, really! My brother's a language nut, and he used to call me a 'stupide vache' when he was mad, and eventually I Googled it, and it means 'stupid cow', please don't kill me!"

Vash hadn't even realized that his hand was inching back towards the gun. "I won't. You can take away the guns if you don't believe me."

Alfred did just that, gingerly taking the weapons from the nightstand, and leaving the room. Vash noted that he was looking at the guns like they were some sort of dead animal, furthering his belief that this man was innocent.

Now that the fiasco had passed, he could get a better idea of where he was. Likely the cabin he'd been travelling to the night before, at least, he thought it had only been the night before. Who knew how long he'd been out? He assumed this was the master bedroom, lying on a queen-sized bed with a dark green comforter, and white frame.

Everything in the room was painted white as well. The nightstand, a small table and chair set by a large window, a bookshelf that looked oddly empty, as did the vanity on the wall opposite to his current position.

In the chipped mirror on the vanity, he could see his own reflection. There were several rust-brown spots in his hair, which should come out easily, and a white bandage had been wrapped several times around his head. It wasn't the best-dressed wound, but it would do. He briefly considered the thought of a concussion, but seeing as he hadn't gotten sick yet, it was unlikely.

Alfred returned, hands now empty, and Vash turned his attentive gaze on the American, to get an idea of the state the escaped convict was in. His blond hair was a bit longer than in the photo, but other than that, he looked pretty much the same. Same lanky, but muscular form, under dark jeans, and a graphic t-shirt, probably hidden somewhere for him to find after he'd escaped. The silver-rimmed glasses were slightly beaten, but they were also the same.

"How did you get out?" He asked suddenly.

Alfred hemmed and hawed for a moment before answering. "Ever seen the movie 'Shawshank Redemption'?"

Vash groaned. "You did not…" When he opened his eyes, he saw that Alfred was grinning.

"Nope! But it's a great movie, I was just saying."

The officer wanted to beat himself unconscious again at just how much like Gilbert this man was. Life just wasn't fair for him.

"Anyway, I can't tell you anything without giving up anyone. I might still get caught after all this anyway, right?"

"Right." He hadn't thought about that. Honestly, he was just curious about everything. He wasn't sure if he cared about his task anymore.

No. That wasn't true. He hadn't lost all sight of what he was supposed to do. If he didn't kill the man who had just saved him, he'd have to return empty-handed. Roderich would be annoyed, and Gilbert would laugh. He'd be reprimanded, but as long as no one knew that he'd met with Jones, he could keep his job. Lily would probably worry.

The thought of his sister completely changed his train of thought. How long had he said he'd be? A week, if he remembered correctly. "I have to get back."

Alfred jumped a little bit, and looked at the man curiously. "Back?"

"Yeah. You know, home. My sister will have a panic attack if I don't get there within the week, or at least get a hold of her."

"You just crashed here last night. You really think it won't look suspicious if you give up and go back?"

"Couldn't I use the accident as a reason to return?"

"You _could_ I suppose. But it'll still look kind of off. I say you stay here until I work out where I'm headed next. I'll drop you off in town, you can call your boss or whatever, and I can promise we'll never cross paths again."

Vash thought about it for a moment, before nodding slowly, also making a mental note to never admit to agreeing to a supposed serial killer's plan.

Suddenly, Alfred was all smiles, like Vash had just agreed to take him to Disney World or something. "Hey, you must be hungry. You want some breakfast?"

"How did you get food out here?"

The American bit his lip, as if debating whether or not to tell him. "Promise you won't tell anyone?"

"I'm keeping the location of an escaped convict a secret, you really think I'd tell anyone who's giving you supplies?"

"Yeah… right." He chuckled a bit at the incredulous look Vash was giving him. "Well, Mattie stocked the kitchen with stuff as soon as he found out I'd escaped. He left me money too."

He faintly recalled Williams taking a few days off immediately after his brother's escape. No one knew about Jones at the time, so it didn't seem strange to anyone. It was so hard to keep track of the man anyway. He could go unnoticed so easily.

Under the watchful blue gaze, Vash swung his legs over the side of the bed, and got up to follow Alfred into the kitchen. He noted that he was still wearing the dark jeans and sweater he'd changed into before leaving. They were torn in a few places, nothing he couldn't repair. He hated the idea of throwing out clothes because of his carelessness.

From the bedroom, the walked down a short hallway, into an open living room, with a large window taking up most of one wall, with a beautiful view of the glassy lake. There were two couches, one a faded green with odd floral patterns, and the other, a solid dark maroon. There was an old TV in the far corner, one that still used an antenna. In fact, everything about the cabin was outdated. Like nothing had changed in thirty years or so.

"So, Fruit Loops, Frosted Flakes, or Corn Pops?" Alfred asked, holding up a tray of miniature cereal boxes.

"Whichever." He was mildly surprised that he'd have food normally reserved for kids, but decided not to question it.

When he sat down, the bandage around his head shifted, and he paused. He was now indebted to the man sitting across from him. If it weren't for Alfred, he would've bled out in the middle of nowhere.

"Thank you." He mumbled, quickly eating a spoonful of Corn Pops so he wouldn't have to answer anything right away.

Clearly, Alfred didn't need any prompting. "It was no big deal. Besides, you could've killed me, and didn't, so I think we're pretty even."

That was the last time either of them mentioned their initial encounter.

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Thanks for reading~!

I hope to finish up the other stories I have on the go so that I can devote more time to the new stuff, like this one, so waits will be shorter soon. Where am I going with this…? Ah yes, review?

(And I totally wouldn't say no to arts if anyone out there thinks it's good enough for a scribble. In fact, I'd love them forever; print them out, and hang them on my wall.)

I do not own Disney World, any of those delicious Kellogg's cereals, or Hetalia. Although… I've figured that Hetalia was born of my childhood happiness as it was torn from my being, (the web comic started just weeks after my life went to shit) so I guess it's kind of mine?


	4. Chapter 4

Lily sat listlessly on the loveseat in the living room, staring at the phone on the opposite wall, as if willing it to ring. Her dinner sat on the table, uneaten, and cooling. "Vash is just really busy." She told herself quietly. "That's why he hasn't called yet."

A loud knock on the door shook her from her thoughts, and a muffled voice shouted from the other side. "Lily! I've come to kidnap you, so get out here and make it easier on me girl!"

"Liz…"

The Hungarian was beaming as she opened the door, wearing a denim mini skirt, and a bright green shirt that flared out anywhere it could. "We're going dancing, so get changed, better yet, let me pick something out for you!"

Lily allowed herself to be dragged back into her small bedroom, and watched as her friend went digging through her closet. She really wanted to say no, to tell Elizaveta to go home, that she wasn't up to going out tonight. But years of experience taught her that Elizaveta only did these sorts of things when she was worried. It would be selfish of her to let her friend worry about her while she wallowed in her own concern.

"Put this on!" Liz was holding up a pair of black skinny jeans, and a shimmery purple top. Lily recognized them as a gift from the very woman standing in front of her. She was still surprised that her brother hadn't complained about them being 'too showy'.

"O-okay."

Once she was changed, she was once again dragged out of the apartment, barely getting the chance to lock the door behind them.

"C'mon! Gilbert's waiting, and you know how impatient he is!"

"Yeah, yeah!" She called back with a small chuckle, despite herself. Both Liz and Gilbert had that way of making her smile, no matter how depressed she was. When the two arrived at the car, the albino was already rocking out to the very loud music pouring from his speakers.

"Turn it down, would you!" Liz yelled as she slid into the passenger seat.

"Aw but Lizzie! You know I'm so fly like a G6!" He yelled back with a grin. "Hey Lily! Lookin' good!"

She blushed, and stammered out a 'thank you', watching with growing amusement as Elizaveta smacked Gilbert upside the head. "Why is it that everything you say sounds perverted?"

"It doesn't, you just aren't awesome enough to tell the difference. And don't hit the driver! If we crash and burn, it's not my fault."

"It's always your fault."

Deciding to break up what could rather quickly evolve into a playful, but violent argument, Lily cleared her throat, gaining the attention of the lovers. "S-so, where are we going?"

The brunette smacked her hand to her forehead. "I'm sorry! I forgot to tell you! Gil found this really cool club a couple weeks ago. We're going to go dance our cares away till dawn!"

"A c-club? Like a bar?"

"Hells yeah, like a…" Gilbert stopped mid-cheer when he saw Lily chewing her lip fretfully. "You're 21, right?"

Blushing in embarrassment, the blonde shook her head slowly. "My birthday's still a few months away. Besides, Vash wouldn't approve…"

"One, screw what that stiff approves of, he's worse than Roddy sometimes. Second, what the hell Lizzie? You should know these things about your friends before taking them out drinking!"

"Don't worry about it!" Elizaveta said with a dismissive wave of one hand. "I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."

"Jedi mind tricks don't work in real life."

Lily slumped back in her seat, no longer listening as Gilbert began going on in a mock-cryptic voice, 'you don't need to see her identification.'

'It's only been two days.' She thought sadly. 'He said it'd be a few days, so he might be back tomorrow. But the way everyone's going on about keeping it quiet makes me think that it's really serious. What if he gets hurt?'

"Hey. Lil' you okay? You're looking distant again."

"Huh?" She looked up to see Elizaveta turning to look back at her in concern. "No, I'm fine, I was just thinking again. So… how are you going to get me in?"

Green eyes sparkled with excitement as she answered, "The club has a glass roof! We're going to sneak in like ninjas, and drop to the middle of the dance floor to make the coolest entrance ever!"

"She's kidding!" Gilbert yelped when Lily's face contorted with confusion and slight terror.

"I know a guy." Liz explained, and the two began nodding sagely as if that explained everything.

"I need new friends."

{}}{{}

Sure enough, when the three arrived at the front of the line leading to a noisy club, the slight Japanese man allowing people in greeted Elizaveta with a smile, and didn't question any of them as he let them in.

"How could a guy that small ever get a job like that?" Lily wondered aloud as they walked in. "Don't they have to be strong to break up fights?"

"Oh Kiku's a total badass. He can handle himself." The Hungarian explained. "Now come on! Let's go dance!"

They left Gilbert at the bar, and dove into the crowd, weaving in and around people until they were near the centre. "C'mon girl! Let's show 'em how it's done!" Elizaveta shouted, already starting to swing her hips to the beat.

Lily nodded, and started moving too, albeit a bit more shyly. She wasn't totally comfortable with all these people around. Both Liz and Gilbert were so much more open, and just _better_ in crowds. She still felt as awkward as she had as a freshman in high school.

Vash would've been furious with her if he knew where she was.

{}}{{}

"How long do you plan on staying here?"

Alfred looked up at Vash's sudden question, and pondered it for a minute before replying. "I dunno. A week, maybe two if I'm lucky…"

"I can't stay that long." He replied shortly.

"Look, if it's about your colleagues, I'm sure they'll understand if…"

"This has nothing to do with my job! I could care less if I get fired, I can always go back to Switzerland if I lose my job in the States. It's my sister."

"Oh yeah, you did say something about her. But so what if she worries a bit? You're still gonna get home in one piece, and have a happy reunion. Everything will turn out just fine…"

"You idiot! Didn't I tell you that'd she'd have a panic attack?"

"Well, sure. But I thought you were-"

"Kidding? Far from it!" He was starting to look a bit scared, which wasn't an emotion Alfred ever considered seeing on the man's face. "She's got severe abandonment issues since our parents left us. I'm all she's got left, and if I'm gone for too long, she has these attacks! I told her I'd be gone for a few days, a week, tops. If I'm not home by then, there's no telling what kind of state she'll be in. You have to understand, I _need_ to get back!"

{}}{{}

Somewhere in the middle of a song, Elizaveta had been swallowed up by the crowds, and it was only now dawning on Lily that she was surrounded by people she didn't know. "L-Liz?"

Of course, her thin voice didn't even reach her own ears over the noise. The other people just kept on dancing, not even noticing the small blonde who stood frozen to the spot, blue-green eyes wide with fear.

"_Bruder, where are mom and dad?"_

Ever so slowly, she crouched down, wrapping her arms around her knees, and hugging them closer to her slight form.

"It's going to be okay. We didn't need them anyway. From now on, I'm all you need, and I promise not to leave you, okay?"

"_Okay!"_

Tears started to fog her vision, and she didn't even notice when people accidentally kicked her as they danced. Vash was gone. Liz had disappeared. She couldn't remember where they'd left Gilbert. She was completely alone.

"I… don't want… Ich will nicht alleine sein!" She continued screaming in German, covering her ears with her small hands, and crying.

"A-are you okay?"

She couldn't see who it was through the tears, but she was too hysterical to see anything but the fact that the person crouched beside her had blond, chin-length hair. "Vash! You came!" And she hugged him fiercely, crying into his shoulder as he lifted her off of the floor of questionable sanitary conditions.

"O-okay. Let's get you a drink eh?" Not exactly the most comforting thing Matthew Williams had ever uttered.

{}}{{}

"I'm sorry! But I can't do anything about it right now!"

"Then take me to town, and I'll take care of this myself!"

"Are you insane? Didn't you see the place when you drove through? It's crawling with cops!"

"Then I'll walk!" Vash huffed, getting to his feet. It would have been dramatic –his walking towards the door- if it weren't for the fact that he had to hike up his borrowed jeans as they threatened to slide down his hips as he went.

At the sight of that, Alfred started snickering, attempting to muffle the sound with his hand. "You won't get far if you keep on having to do that every two minutes."

Face slightly pink, Vash reached for the door handle, and paused. "I don't have time to deal with you. I hope you can get out of the country without too big of a deal. But unlike you, I've got more than just myself to take care of."

"Sure. Hey, Vash?"

"Hm?"

"Tell… tell Mattie, next time you see him, that I'm okay? And thanks for the food and clothes…oh! And the beer too."

"Sure."

"And… tell him to stop trying to prove my innocence. It'll just get him in over his head. And to make sure he calms down, and stops making everyone think he's kind of insane. And…"

"Alfred."

"What?"

The blond turned around to face him with an amused smirk on his lips. "Do you wanna write all that down?"

The American grinned, and scampered off to find some paper and a pen.

"Lily still has Gilbert and Elizaveta." He murmured to himself. "As bad of an influence they are, she won't be alone. I'm sorry."

{}}+{{}

Thanks for reading~!

Well, me and heavy stories… it's getting bad now. On a lighter note, guess who's rockin' pigtails at 16! They're like, the fem!England kind too! If I were blonde, I might actually look like her.

As of Sunday the 7th, I will be at camp for two weeks without Internet, but with power. So, don't expect anything during that time, but if I do a lot of work, I may have a massive fic overload when I get back. But under the condition that I have an extremely full inbox of reviews when I get back, okay?

I kind of wanted to give Liechtenstein a stronger character in this seeing as a lot of people hate on her so much, and I just find her too cute to hate, so expect a bit more of her, especially now that I have a really good idea of where I'm going with this… it involves awesome chase scenes… that's all I'm giving away. Oh, and as to who the real killer is... it won't be Russia. Anyone who knows me, knows that I'd never go with something that obvious. It's way more fun to write stuff that makes no sense, and make it make sense. :3


	5. Chapter 5

"What the hell Lizzie? You _lost _her?"

"I'm sorry Gil! She was right beside me, I swear! But there were just all these people, and we got split up and… oh God what if something happens to her?"

"Come on, it's gonna be okay, just pull yourself together, and let's go look for her. The dance floor can't be that big."

Just as the pair moved towards the crowd of writing bodies, a lone figure approached them, carrying Lily, who was sobbing into his shoulder. "H-hey Gilbert."

"Matt? What the hell are you doing here?"

The Canadian ducked his head in embarrassment. "I was just looking for someone, and I ran into this young lady in a moment of crisis. She's Zwingli's sister, isn't she?"

"Yes, this is Lily. Thank you so much for finding her." Elizaveta murmured in relief. She reached for the girl's shoulder, and shook it gently. "Hey Lil, you gonna be okay?"

She nodded, and slowly pried herself out of Matthew's grasp. "I'm so sorry to have caused you so much trouble sir."

"It's alright. So long as you're fine."

Elizaveta threw her arms around Lily's shoulders, and started wailing about how sorry she was for leaving her, but the blonde didn't really seem to notice. She just continued looking up at Matthew. "Um… sir, do you work with my brother?"

"Yes. Sorry, I should've introduced myself. I'm Matthew Williams. I don't know your brother very well, but we've spoken from time to time."

"Then… do you know where he is right now?"

He looked uncertainly to the two behind Lily, both of whom were shaking their heads fiercely. "I'm sorry. I haven't been given any of that information."

"But he's looking for _your_ brother." It wasn't a question.

"Lily. How the hell do you know that?" Gilbert asked in horror. "It's not on the news, no one even knows Jones is gone."

"Because I know what Vash does. He chases criminals, and then comes back. That's what he's done for years. He's never gone longer than what he promises, so _that_ has never been a problem." No one needed to ask what _that _was. They'd all just witnessed it. "But for him to be gone this long, it'd have to be someone really smart.

"Alfred Jones was the only person recently convicted in the area, who'd been outsmarting cops for years. And he kind of looks like you Mr. Williams, so I assumed you two must be related. Besides, you have the same look of a younger sibling who's without their big brother."

Matthew rubbed the back of his head, as if embarrassed. "Well then, figured out by a kid not even old enough to drink. That's a tough blow to my pride."

"How do you know she's underage?" Elizaveta shot out suddenly, still refusing to relinquish her death-hug on Lily.

"So I checked her ID, I'm a cop! Sue me!"

"Please! Mr. Williams! You know where your brother is, so you know where mine is!"

The Canadian sighed, and looked thoughtful for a moment. "I talked to Vash the same night he left to find Al, and tried to convince him that he was innocent, and obviously he believed me, or else he'd be back by now. Trust me, he'll wait until Al disappears, and then come back, claiming he couldn't find him."

"Vash would've called. Please! Something must be wrong!"

"I don't know what you want me to do!"

"Take me to him."

"What?" All three of the others yelped in unison.

"Take me to your brother. Where he is, that's where Vash will be!"

"Look, Lily, he's got a job. He can't just run off and-"

"I'll do it."

"You will?" Gilbert asked, one pale eyebrow raised in question, almost disappearing into his bags.

"Yes." He turned back to Lily, and started to explain. "I'll pick you up in a couple of days. I just have to jump through some hoops for a bit at the office to get a few days' vacation time. But knowing Al, he won't leave until absolutely necessary. So he'll still be there, don't worry."

"Okay. Thank you!"

"Oi! Williams!"

The blond froze as a loud voice called for him over the heavy bass, and the chattering people. "Go. All of you, get out. I'll see you tomorrow Gil, make sure these two get home safely."

If the request confused Gilbert, he didn't show it. He just nodded, and turned the girls towards the door. "Come on. We'll have to say hi to Kiku on the way out."

Just as they'd disappeared, a heavy hand clapped Matthew on the shoulder. "Didn't expect to see you here tonight." A gruff voice muttered as quietly as one could in a noisy club. "You've just been so full of surprises lately, haven't you?"

"I do my best, Mathias."

The Dane laughed suddenly, and walked around to face the young cop. "Good to know you're not in a rut like most people these days. Y'know. We don't talk often enough…"

"O-oh really?"

"No." He turned Matthew towards the back of the club, and started steering him there. "Let's have a nice long chat. Maybe we could even talk about your brother."

{}}{{}

It only took Vash another day with Jones to realize that staying had been a bad idea. He'd always assumed he had it bad with Gilbert, seeing him every day for hours on end… he was still annoying, but the point is, he didn't have to _live_ with the guy.

Alfred had all the energy of a six-year old on a sugar high, and the attention span of a gnat. It was next to impossible to shut him up once he got going, and seeing as there were only the two of them for conversation, he got going a lot. If he wasn't going on about movies, it was comparing the quality of fast-food restaurants, (even though it was clear that he practically worshipped McDonald's) or his cousin's '_massive_' eyebrows, or robots, or superheroes.

It was enough to make Vash desperately want to know where his guns were.

About five days after he'd first arrived, Alfred announced that they would leave the next morning. "I'll drop you off somewhere, as promised, and then we'll both be on our merry little ways."

"Sounds wonderful."

"Almost as wonderful as the idea of pants that fit?"

Vash had to bite his lip, and turn away to keep Alfred from seeing the smile that he was desperately fighting back. "Almost." He agreed.

{}}{{}

The next morning, just as they coasted into a small town, the optimistic grin that had been glued to Alfred's face all morning, suddenly vanished. "Oh shit…"

"What is… oh." He glanced out the window, and saw an unmarked police car sitting in the parking lot of a motel. There probably wasn't anyone in it, but they couldn't tell with the tinted windows. "Just drive past it. As long as you don't look suspicious, you're fine."

"But they know this is my car!"

"You couldn't have stolen one after breaking out?"

"I couldn't steal a car! That'd be the most unheroic thing to do in that kind of situation!"

"Of course it is. Just… keep going, and maybe they won't notice us."

But of course, just as they were coasting out of sight of the motel, the black car roared to life, and pulled out after them. "Goddammit! Sorry Vash, but I can't drop you off until we lose this guy."

"Just try not to kill us." He muttered, watching in the rear-view mirror as the roof lights lit up, and the familiar siren started echoing in his ears. He turned back to Alfred, whose mouth was set in a grim line as he pressed further on the gas. "It's not possible to lose him on a highway."

"I know."

"These windows are tinted, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Pull over."

"What?"

"_Pull over_!"

Confused, he complied, driving the car over to the thick shoulder.

"Now get into the back, and get down."

Comprehension dawned in t American's eyes, and he practically tore off his seatbelt, diving for the back, where he had several blankets for just in case.

Just as the officer made it to the car, Alfred was completely hidden, and Vash was in the driver's seat, seatbelt on, and window rolled down. Maybe they could get by this. Maybe, just maybe…

"Sir! I'm going to ask you to step out of the vehicle immediately. You are under arrest for the aiding in the escape of a fugitive!" He couldn't tell how on Earth the officer had figured out that they'd switched, but it didn't really matter. They were caught.

Vash's heart plummeted as he undid the seatbelt that he'd just put on seconds before to avoid a fine. It was the end of the line, and they'd barely just begun.

{}}+{{}

Thanks for reading~!

I was just going through some old random stories my friends and I used to write together, and I've discovered that I used to write really funny dialogue! I don't know what happened, but some of my older stuff is hilarious! I'm hoping that I can find a place for some of it in future stories.

Speaking of which, I've got a poll on my profile to help decide what new stories I should work on next. Of course, I'll finish the three I've got on the go first; I just want your opinions on what should be next. If none of the pairings appeal to you, just pick the one with the coolest title.

And, like always, review for the sake of…everyone.


	6. Chapter 6

Vash opened the door, and slid out, hands raised. Who the hell had he been kidding? There was no way he ever could've just let Jones live and get to go back to normal life with nothing more than a smack on the wrists. Now he'd be viewed as nothing more than a criminal, and there was no telling how Lily would take it either.

He wasn't quite sure what he'd expected the cop to do. But hug him certainly wasn't on the list of possibilities.

"Vash! Oh thank God it's you!"

It took him a moment to register the person whose arms were wrapped around him in a death-grip was his sister. "L-Lily?"

She looked up at him, eyes gleaming happily as she nodded. "I was so worried that we'd lose you stopping at the motel, but it turns out that that was the best choice after all!"

"Who's _we_? Did you convince Gilbert of all people to take you here?"

Wordlessly, she pointed over to where Matthew was leaning against the car, smirking slightly.

"Williams?"

"Well I figured Al would do something stupid like this, and your sister seemed pretty determined to get you back home herself, so I figured I should do my part." He explained. "Speaking of which, where is Al?"

In response, Alfred burst out of their car with a blanket tangled around his ankles. He ignored it, dragging it along the side of the road as he sprinted over to his brother, and tackled him into a hug. "Mattie! I missed you so much, and now you're here to be my amazing sidekick again so we can go on awesome adventures together!" He cheered.

Matthew grumbled something about his brother being a fat jackass, but he was smiling brightly as he did so.

"So why'd you come all the way out here for lil' old me?" Alfred asked brightly.

"Well, Lily was getting really worried, so I promised to take her out here to find Vash. At least, that's how it started…" His eyes clouded over, and he suddenly went quiet.

"It's about _him_, isn't it?"

"…Yeah."

{}}{{}

Frowning, Matthew had followed Mathias through the writhing crowds to a door at the back, flanked by two pale-haired men, who appeared to be related. "That was fast Kohler. I didn't expect you'd find him so quickly." The taller of the two muttered.

"You always expect the worst of me Andreas." The Dane said with an overdramatic sigh. "Anyway, me and Mattie are going to have a nice long talk, so no interruptions."

"Got it."

The room they entered was dark, and as the door closed, it became pitch black. The instant of light that Matthew got only let him catch a glimpse of a dark red couch before being thrust into darkness.

"So Matt, I hear your bro's on the run."

"Th-that's what we've been told."

"You have to have some sort of idea of where he went, right?"

"Can't say I do."

He could almost hear the grin on Mathias' face when he answered, "Funny. That's not what you told that little blondie over at the bar."

"R-really?"

"Really. In fact, you said you were going to take her there in a couple of days."

"I was lying." He murmured quickly. "I just wanted to get her out of my hair. There's no way she could actually find me to take me up on the offer. I'm sorry Kohler, but I have no clue where Alfred would run to."

"Now why don't I believe you?"

He still couldn't see a thing, but Matthew could feel the taller man's arm leaning against the wall beside him, probably looking as deceivingly friendly as always. Mathias had him all figured out, just like Alfred before him. What the hell kind of grudge did he have against the brothers? They'd never done anything to him! Never arrested any of his men, never threatened him, nothing. So why them? He really didn't like where the conversation was headed anyway, so he reached silently for the door handle, clasping the cold metal in his palm.

"Well if you did believe everything a cop tells you, you'd be the one behind bars by now, am I right?"

"You know it! Now, in all seriousness, how about you tell me about your brother's new hiding place, and what's so special about that blondie getting there?"

Matthew turned the handle slowly, discovering that it was unlocked to his excitement. "We'll have to save story-time for another day, okay Mathias? Right now I have somewhere I need to be." And without another word, he hurled the door open, and sprinted out into the club.

Neither of the two who stood by the door moved to catch him. They knew a lost cause when they saw one, and instead, turned to face Mathias, whose face was darker than the room he was stepping out of. "That brat. Just as arrogant as his damn brother." He spat harshly.

{}}{{}

Despite the run-in with Mathias at the club, Matthew appeared in front of the tall apartment building as promised, with the trunk of his car packed with all the essentials, with some room still for whatever Lily brought. He was somewhat concerned about her bringing too much stuff. He'd known girls like that before, and it was kind of a hassle.

Luckily, she appeared out of the building carrying only a backpack, and a purse. "How far is it?" Were the first words out of her mouth as she slid into the passenger seat.

"Not far. Twelve hours, if the traffic is good."

"T-twelve?"

"Yeah. But seeing as we're in one of these babies…" He patted the sides of the unmarked police car. "We can do it in ten."

"I-isn't that illegal?"

"Well… yes, but that's a little besides the point. I get the feeling that Alfred's going to leave tomorrow, and I'd hate to miss him because we took two days to get there."

"Right." Lily reached over to slide her seatbelt in place, and then stared out the windshield with determination. "Then floor it please!"

{}}{{}

"And that's how we ended up waiting for you like creepers at the motel." Matthew ended with a grin.

"So wait, is Kohler coming after us?"

"I don't know. He wanted to know where you are, that seems like reason enough to me that he would."

"So what you're saying is…"

"I'm on the run too."

"Bitchin'! Wait 'till Artie hears about this! He'll be all 'I should've beaten you two more as children! Getting mixed up with the law and gangs, whatever would your parents think of you?' It'll be awesome!"

"Glad you're taking it so well."

"I hate to interrupt…" Vash started, looking like he didn't really hate it at all. "But who's this 'Kohler' guy anyway?"

"He's a gang leader from Denmark." Matthew explained quickly before Alfred could get on a rant about how much of an asshole this guy was. "He was the one who got all those people killed, and framed Al for it."

"Why is he angry with you two?"

"We might've stepped on his toes a bit." It was Alfred who spoke this time, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I got into a few fights, and Mattie arrested some of his men. We weren't exactly best pals to begin with. But it kind of got taken too far when Mattie ended up being best friends with Mathias' worst enemy, and he found out. Things got really ugly then."

"So he framed Alfred for his dirty work, and is starting to threaten Williams." Vash finished quietly.

"You got it. Normally, we'd keep you two out of it. Trust me, you don't need our problems. But right now, it's not just about us, is it?"

Vash's grip on his sister's shoulder tightened minutely. "You mean he'd go after Lily too?"

"Yes."

"But why? She's done nothing to him!" But even he knew the answer before it came out of the younger officer's mouth. He'd dealt with more than his fair share of gang bosses to know how they're minds worked.

"She was seen talking with me. That alone is reason enough for him to want her dead. Plus, he thinks that she'll know where me and Al are."

"What about Lizzie and Gil?" Lily asked quietly. "They were there too."

"Gilbert _is_ Mathias' worst enemy. He can take care of himself, _and_ Elizaveta, so don't worry about a thing."

"And that puts the four of us in the same boat." Vash murmured. It wasn't a question. He knew exactly what had to happen now.

"Awesome! We're all going on a road trip to London together!" Alfred cheered, running towards their car. "Let's dump this baby and cruise on over to the nearest airport in style!"

Vash had to stifle a groan at the thought of not just spending a few hours in a small car with Alfred, but now several hours on a plane with him, and God only knew how long they'd be together after that.

Although, it was nice to be able to believe that that was the worst of his problems.

{}}+{{}

Thanks for reading~!

Well do you hate me for my slowness? I sure do. But right now, nothing wants to be written, so bear with me.

Okay, Mathias Kohler is Denmark, (he seemed like an interesting villain) Andreas is Norway, and the quiet one (Freyr, I don't think his name has come up yet, but that's it) is Iceland.

Them all going to London was in the original plan, but I suddenly had to make a villain to force them all there, or else it wouldn't have made sense.

As always, reviews motivate me, so send lots. And art would be… awesomer than Prussia.


	7. Chapter 7

The street outside the apartments where Vash and Lily lived were oddly noisy for this time of day, and so no one really paid much attention to the smaller man who stood on the other side of the building. Andreas stared coolly at the ringing cellphone in his hand for a few minutes before finally picking it up. "What is it Kohler?"

"I want to know what you found in the apartment of course. You didn't think I'd actually call for something that isn't important, did you?"

He rolled his eyes, deciding against listing off all the times the Dane had called him pointlessly. "Well, the girl we saw, her name is Lily Zwingli. Lives with her brother. You may be interested to hear that he's a cop."

"You think that's how she knows Matt?"

"That was my guess. But neither of them was home. It looks like someone left in a hurry."

"Her brother knows where Jones is…" Mathias murmured, more to himself than the man on the other end. "See if you can track them using cellphone records or credit cards. They can't be more than a day up the road."

"I'll get some guys on it right away. You want me to go too?"

"Yeah. Make it quick. And don't let the law slow you down. Go as fast as you can without killing yourself."

Andreas nodded, even though the other couldn't see him, and hung up. With a sigh, more of exhaustion than actual annoyance, he turned to his car, and drove away, leaving the blazing inferno of the apartment building behind him just as the wailing sirens of fire trucks began echoing around the buildings. When the police arrived to question witnesses about the possibility of an arsonist, none would recall the pale-faced man who'd been speaking calmly on his phone throughout the entire affair.

{}}{{}

As the four began to move everything from Alfred's car into the police vehicle, Alfred and Matthew began arguing over who was going to drive.

"You go too slow Mattie! Like, half the speed limit."

"The speed limit's in kilometres here, not miles. I go at least ten over it too. We'll end up being pulled over if you drive, and I'd love to see you get us out of that kind of situation."

"Can't we just turn on the sirens and go?"

"This is an unmarked vehicle Al. It doesn't _have_ sirens."

"Oh yeah? Then what's the point of an unmarked car if you have no authority?"

"To be subtle. We don't want too much attention. I know subtle is a difficult concept for you to grasp, so just go with it, would you?"

In the end, Alfred just wrestled the keys out of his brother's grasp, and hopped into the driver's seat. "All aboard!" He called cheerfully. "To London!"

"Any plans for getting on a plane?" Vash asked as he slid into the back seat, along with his sister. "Or have you forgotten that you're a wanted criminal?"

"Oh really? I didn't realize that!" He replied sarcastically. "Don't sweat it, I got a fake ID made a long time ago, it'll be fine."

"Besides, he's not actually wanted in Canada." Matthew added. "As long as the police haven't sent anything this way, we shouldn't have a problem."

"That's good." Lily murmured, more just to say something than anything else. "So what's your cousin like?"

"Who, Artie?" Alfred scrunched up his face in thought as the abandoned car faded into the distance. "He's a bit eccentric. A lot of weird hobbies and interests, but he's a pretty okay guy. He'll house us for a bit at least."

"What kind of hobbies?"

"Black magic, mostly." He replied with a grin. "Black magic and the Beatles. He's got shelves of their records, right next to his collection of spell books. He's an odd duck."

"_You're _an odd duck." Matthew muttered, still a bit annoyed about not driving. "The Beatles are amazing."

"I'm sorry! They're just too British. And they're not metal enough."

"You don't even like metal!" He shot back.

"Go to hell Mattie."

"You're driving, I'm already there."

As they continued to argue, Lily started to giggle. "They're kind of like you and Gilbert, don't you think?"

Vash turned red at the thought of sounding that much like a brother to Beilschmidt, and shook his head. "Why don't you get some sleep? We've still got a long ways to go. I'll wake you up when we're there."

"I'm not that tired, really. I just woke up a little while ago, remember?" She insisted. "Besides, I'd like to hear more stories about your cousin, if you don't mind Mr. Jones. He sounds rather interesting."

"Okay, first things first kiddo, please don't call me Mr. Jones, I'm really not old enough to be a Mister. Just Al's fine."

"Al it is." She promised. "So have you known Arthur for long?"

"You kidding? The wacko raised us!"

"Explains a lot." Vash muttered under his breath.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like." Matthew leapt in to answer. "You're nuts."

"Aw! I love you too bro!"

With a final fit of laughter from Alfred, he clicked on the radio, and the passengers fell into a comfortable silence, as they drove along the highway.

{}}{{}

Only a few hours after the four had pulled away, Andreas arrived at the site of the abandoned car, where one of the other men was already waiting. "The others have gone on ahead in the direction we figured they were going. They'll catch up to them soon, as long as nothing slows them down."

"I'm surprised nothing slowed you down getting here. I lost you after the first few intersections."

"Yes well…" he shuddered, looking faintly green. "Vargas is a lunatic behind the wheel. That we weren't killed was a miracle."

"And he's been after them for how long now?"

"About ten minutes. But like I said, he'll catch up real quick."

"You'd better hope so. Or it'll be all our heads on the chopping block."

"R-right. Well, they're on their way east. We figured Quebec, and then catch a plane from there out of the continent."

The stony-faced man nodded, and jerked his head towards his car, which was still running. "Get in. We'll head back and tell Kohler the news. Then we'll wait for Vargas' crew to tell us where they're headed."

"No need. Like I said, he'll catch up long before they can get out of the province. We'll have their destination before lunch time."

Andreas just continued to stare coldly at the other man until he scurried over to the car.

{}}+{{}

Thanks for reading~! And for being patient, but I have good reasons for slowness. Story time first though. At my church, we've got a guest book in the front, and this week, I glanced at it, and saw Liechtenstein, so of course, I read further. It was this couple from Switzerland who went to a church in Liechtenstein… kind of made my day a little bit.

Okay, reasons why you should not kill me now. I'm out of IB, but still in University level courses, two of which are grade 12, and the workload is pretty intense. Speaking of which, can anyone give me any pointers on a Data Management final assignment? Second, I'm in musical theatre, and we're doing Guys & Dolls this year, and I got the part of Sarah Brown, the romantic lead, so that'll take up a lot of my time.

Finally, if you've noticed the poll on my profile, it looks like I'm going to be writing the Romano/Canada story next. This fact makes me very happy, as I really want to write it. Well, I've sort of already written several chapters, and it's been taking up my time with its awesomeness. I have never been this prepared to write a fanfic EVER!

Long author's note is long, but if you're still reading this, thanks loads for your patience, and please drop a wonderful review~! I'll try and be faster in the future… but no promises.


	8. Chapter 8

Alfred eyed the car approaching them from behind warily. "Mattie… Take a look behind us. It doesn't look good."

"I know." Matthew had been watching in the mirror on his side the entire time. "Better speed up, just in case."

"Right. Hold on!" He pressed down on the gas, urging the dark vehicle to go just a little faster, but it didn't seem to deter to other driver, who continued to creep up behind them. Only a few minutes since they'd first noticed the car, a bullet shot into the back window.

"God bless bullet-proof glass!" Alfred breathed, pressing even harder on the gas. "Come on babe, just a little faster!"

Vash thought of his guns, which were now sitting in the back trunk of their vehicle, and resisted the urge to throw his hands up and swear. "Matthew! Are there any guns in here?" He asked quickly.

The Canadian nodded, and dug through the glove compartment for a moment before tossing a handgun into the backseat. "Sorry. It's all I've got."

Green eyes raked across the small hunk of metal, before he decided that it would be good enough, and started rolling down the window. "Get down Lily."

She nodded, and crouched forward, still watching the others nervously, while Vash angled himself for a clear shot.

Whichever moron they had shooting in the other car, he wasn't going to be shooting for long. Vash held the gun up in front of his face, aimed, and let the rest of the world go silent. The wind that sent his hair flying every-which-way seemed to still, and rest. Alfred's panicked swearing was muted into the background, along with the noise of the engine.

He closed his eyes, and fired.

Time sped to catch up, and the noise returned, along with the added faint sounds of pain coming from the other car, as the man likely clutched at his bleeding hand. His handgun would lie forgotten on the road for quite some time.

Meanwhile, Vash prepared for a second shot at the driver, hoping their glass wasn't bullet-proof.

It wasn't. But Alfred jerked the wheel slightly as he fired, and the shot was off. By his judgement, it was off by just enough to keep it from being a kill shot as he'd hoped. Either way, the car behind them skidded off to the side of the road, barely making it to the shoulder before coming to a halt.

With a satisfied sigh, Vash returned to a sitting position, and rolled the window back up. "All done."

"Dude… that was awesome." Alfred breathed, returning to a slower speed. "Like… James Bond awesome. I am _so_ freaking glad you're not trying to kill me anymore."

"He definitely is one of the best." Matthew added.

"Was." Vash corrected, making the others stop, and think about it.

"Right. There's no way any of us are going back there."

"What about Liz? And Gilbert?" Lily asked in horror. "Your job… everything!"

"Is this Kohler guy doesn't kill us first, I'll get fired for helping Alfred here escape. I'm practically AWOL right now." He explained steadily, though it was clear that he was angry about this fact as well. Everything he'd worked for was gone now. Though they'd discussed it before, based on her reaction, she probably thought that they'd be going back in a few months after it all blew over. She didn't know how long a grudge could last.

"Don't worry about it anyway Lily, we can start over somewhere else. What's important now is that we all get out of here safely."

At that, Alfred grew oddly silent. Matthew only needed a glance to tell that he was feeling guilty. And while it wasn't really Alfred's fault that the siblings would have to pull up their stakes and move elsewhere, there would be no telling him that, and he'd continue to feel guilty for quite some time.

He just hoped that Arthur would be able to talk some sense into him. That had always been a skill of his.

{}}{{}

"For fuck's sake, I said I'm fine! Now get your asses back into that car, and catch them!" Vargas snarled, holding the bandages to the side of his head.

Alfred jerking the wheel as Vash had taken the shot had really saved his life back there, even if he didn't know it. The bullet that had had his name on it had just barely grazed the side of his temple. The wound was neither life threatening, nor deep, but it was certainly enough to be painful, and a serious hindrance to driving any farther.

"Sir, we can't just leave you here alone." One of the men offered quietly.

"Like hell you can't! Look, unless _you_ want to deal with Kohler when he's pissed, you'll get into that fucking car, and keep going until you find Jones and his buddies!"

"At least let one of us stay with you."

"No way in hell. I can walk myself over to the next town just fine, and the more people you've got capable of shooting whoever they've got gunning the thing, the better. Speaking of which, how's your hand kid?"

The younger man, who was still clinging to his steadily dripping hand, looked up and shrugged.

"Well then you'll be no good for the team. Come on, I'll take you with me to a hospital. A for you three… get moving!"

Grudgingly, they obeyed, and within minutes, the car was back on its way to hunt down Jones. Even though Lovino knew that they wouldn't catch up at this point.

With a groan, he pulled out his cellphone, and began searching for reception as they walked. Stupid highway towns, not having a cell tower for miles.

Finally, he got a few bars, which was all he needed, and quickly dialled Andreas' number.

"_Yes_?"

"We got hit. I sent the guys on ahead, but I don't know if they'll be catching up anytime soon."

"_Who was it that shot you_?"

"That cop Jones has working for him, isn't it? The guy's a fantastic shot. I'm surprised he didn't kill me."

"_It's a pity it didn't. Mathias might do worse_."

Lovino swallowed sharply, and nodded, even though the man wouldn't be able to see him. "Well I'll just have to take my chances, won't I?"

"_I suppose you will. Now, did you at least get a better idea of where they're headed_?"

"Yeah. They just crossed the border to Quebec near some town called North Bay when we'd caught up to them. They'll probably cross it again in a bit to catch a plane from Ottawa. They're as good as gone once they get into a city that size."

"_I'll let him know. He won't be happy, but maybe he'll learn to live with it_."

"Don't get your hopes up."

"_Same to you._" Andreas paused, as if thinking about something, before continuing. "_He doesn't need to know you're alive Vargas._" And without another word, he hung up, leaving the other man stunned. He hadn't known the man to be that helpful, or forgiving.

But then again, his patience with their leader had been waning lately. That would be part of it.

Maybe losing this battle with Jones would help him.

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Thanks for reading~!

Next up, to Arthur's house!

Just going back and rereading chapter 6, and noticed a terrible, terrible error in consistency, which makes me want to cry. I'm too lazy to fix it, but just know that I acknowledge it's there, and if you spot it… don't point it out please.

Tired… very tired… leave a review please. I'm going to bed.


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